


Hero

by dandelion_wishes



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Bravery, Daddy!Chilton, Daddy!Jack, Fluff and Angst, Game of Tag, Little!Alana, Little!Will, Multi, Non-Sexual Age Play, Pool, Summer Party, daddy! Hannibal, little!Matthew
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-21
Updated: 2015-09-21
Packaged: 2018-04-22 15:34:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4840865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dandelion_wishes/pseuds/dandelion_wishes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Saving the day can be hard on a little one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hero

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the Littleverse of non sexual age play. All adults playing younger than biological age.

You can't catch me! yells Matthew running from Alana and Will in a game of tag as they wait to make  s'mores. Matthew sticks his tongue at the others running backwards. He feels his feet slips and he falls with a splash into Uncle Jack's pool. He sinks down into the cool water,his arms flailing wildly as he bobs up for air.

 

Will and Alana laughs as Matthew tumbled into the pool. Then Will becomes scared when he hears Matty yelling for help as he struggles to stay above the water.Alana and Will look at each other with wide eyes. Alana runs inside as Will dives  into the pool. He swims under the water, his glasses falling to the pool bottom. Matthew is succumbing to the water as a few bubbles drift up from his mouth. Will grabs Matty under the arms pulling him up from the depths.

When the boy breaks the surface,Will sees everyone at the pool’s edge. He swims with Matthew over to the edge while Hannibal and Chilton assist in pulling the boy out. Alana stands by Jack watching with frightened tears hands fisted to her mouth. Hannibal and Chilton start pushing water out of Matty' s lungs. They give him breaths for a few tense moments before the boy finally coughs up the water and takes air into his lungs. Will swims to the shallow end and exits the pool hugging his torso shivering in adrenaline and the cool night air.

Matthew looks ups crying for his daddy. Chilton takes a towel from Bella,wrapping his boy up as he holds him and  kisses his forehead. There are sighs of relief now that everything is over. Will edges closer watching closely as the scene unfolds between daddy and his boy. He jumps when he feels a towel draped over his shoulders by his daddy.He looks up with sopping wet hair, t shirt and shorts. His shoes making squishing sounds from of diving into the pool without removing them.

"William I am so proud of you. You were so brave! You saved Matthew's life." He smiles at his little one who seems to be in shock. Will’s face has a stoic expression as he just nods his head in recognition of the praise. Hannibal steers his boy to go inside the house.

They see Matthew on the couch being cuddled by his daddy. Matthew notices Will. The older boy holds out his arms motioning for Will to come over. He pulls Will into a tight hug.

"Thank you Will for saving Matty." says Uncle Chilton in a moment of gratitude and tenderness."I am going to make sure he gets swimming lessons."

Matthew keeps holding on to Will still crying slightly. Will strokes his cousin's hair. He pulls back looking Matthew in the eyes,his thumb swipes a tear from the older boy's cheek like his daddy's does to him.

"It's okay Matty. I'll teach you to swim. I've been swimming since I was a baby." He whispers to his cousin. They embrace again before he slides out as Bella puts more blankets around Matty.

Everyone is patting Will on the back telling how brave he is,while Hannibal watches  his boy with pride. He observes that Will doesn't smile as he whispers “thank you”. Hannibal thought Will would be beaming with pride. Maybe his boy is feeling a little shy from all the attention.Hannibal snags Will winding his arms tightly around his boy giving a kiss on his wet curls.

"Can we go home daddy?" Will asks looking at his daddy eyes wide.He is slightly trembling.

"Of course little one. Are you sure? We can get you some dry clothes. We can still have s'mores." Hannibal knows what a sweet tooth Will has. His boy has been looking forward to the treat all day.

 

Will shakes his  head no as he whispers "Everybody is looking at me. I don't like it when people stare at me." He frowns fidgeting.

Hannibal squeezes him tight rubbing his back." I know it can be rude. But they don't see a real live hero everyday. That's what you are. But I will take you home if you are sure you want to leave."

Will nods emphatically as his thumb sneaks up to his mouth.Hannibal pats Will's shoulder before he makes their goodbyes to Jack. Hannibal explains Will is overwrought with all the attention and needing some time at home. Jack sends home some graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows for s'mores at home. Will hugs Matthew again before they leave.

* * *

 

On the drive home Hannibal turns on the heat making Will comfortable. Will is usually  chatty during their car rides.His boy is very quiet tonight. He looks in the rearview mirror expecting to find Will sleeping.Will however is still awake looking out the window. The boy seems to be very introspective.

“William is there anything wrong?” asks a concerned daddy.

Still watching the scenery fly by Will shakes his head. “No daddy. Nothing is wrong.I am watching the man in the moon follow us home.”

Hannibal smiles at his little one's imagination. He sighs deciding to drop his query until Will is more approachable. It could be Will was exhausted from a long day of social interaction Hannibal muses.When they are home, Hannibal has Will leave his soggy shoes in the garage. Once inside, Will looks at his daddy waiting for instruction.

"Why don't you have a bubble bath and I make you some hot chocolate with whip cream for my little hero." He smiles as fingers card through his boys hair.

Will looks down watching as his toes make shapes on the tile from water leaking out of his sock  as he replies. "After the bath can I go to bed daddy? I am tired."

"Sure my love. Are you sure no hot chocolate?" Hannibal asks with a twinge of concern in his voice.Will nods.

They head upstairs where Hannibal runs the water for bath as Will puts his soggy clothes in the bathroom floor. Will barely plays with his toys. Hannibal picks up the soggy clothes and heads downstairs to make some warm milk. He wonders why Will seems so despondent . His boy should be basking in the glow of praise instead he is  shyer than usual about the attention. Hannibal wonders if this something adult Will is working through, something over the near drowning of Matthew. Hannibal takes Will's warm milk upstairs but finds his boy already in bed asleep. No bedtime story, no warm milk, no bedtime routine it all feels wrong to daddy Hannibal.

He turns off the light cracking the door. Hannibal drinks some wine reading for an hour before falling asleep. He has been asleep for an hour at the most, when he hears a strange noise. He rises swiftly and move softly down the hall. He pauses at his boy’s room observing the bed is empty. He whispers Will’s name but  hears nothing. Hannibal goes downstairs scanning each room for an intruder or Will. He spots  the kitchen french doors open. Hannibal slips up to the open door, he notices that Will is standing in the moonlight in his favorite dog pajamas staring up at the sky. Randall is sitting beside Will leaning against his leg. The pet whines when he sees Hannibal. Hannibal comes closer he observes Will's eyes are slightly open. Will is sleep walking. Hannibal is troubled by this because it has been a long time since this has happened.

* * *

 

Hannibal gently puts his hands on Will's cold little arms. "Come with me dearest. Time for bed."He whispers as Will begins to shuffle forward. Hannibal takes his boy inside  and back to bed. He covers Will up and kisses his temple.

Hannibal whistles softly for Randall. He scratches his pet murmuring praises for watching out for Will. Hannibal then tells Randall he can sleep in Will's room. Randall is instructed to wake Hannibal up if Will sleeps walks again.Randall crawls in the room. The pet gently crawls on the bed curling up at the foot.

****  


The next morning Hannibal fixes waffles and fruit for breakfast. Will comes down rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with Mr Bear in his arm.

"Good morning my hero! Would you like some waffles?"

"Morning daddy. Yes I would like waffles."

As Hannibal plates the waffles he asks Will. "You slept walked  last night dearest. Did you have a nightmare?"

He places the plate in front of Will. His boys fiddles with his food as he shrugs a shoulder.

"Will look at me." Hannibal says firmly.

When Will's eyes meets Hannibal's, he says " Pineapple." Their agreed upon safe word when Will needs to age up or Hannibal wants to pause the scene in play.

"What's wrong with little Will? You has been acting strangely since you rescued Matthew. Then you slept walked. Are you dealing with something?" Hannibal asks as he lays his hand over Will's.

Will swallows. He glances at Hannibal as he thinks about what was really bothering him. Often adult Will has difficulty opening up about his feelings. Even though all his emotions are ever present on his face, the deeper hidden emotions are harder to discuss. Will keeps many secrets hidden because he doesn’t want anyone to be bothered with his type of “crazy”. He rubs his hand over his face before speaking.

"When I dove in to save Matthew that was pure instinct. I felt numb until after Matthew was breathing again. I was overpowered by everyone’s  feelings of  fear and anguish as well as  my own adrenaline. All the attention heaped on later amplified that."

Hannibal nods  in understanding. He could see how Will’s  empathy and the excitement could be too stimulating. Little Will would be affected even more so by those feelings. Then being introverted in addition to the empathy, anyone touching him probably set off a small panic attack.

Will continues " I also had this memory pushing its way to the forefront of my bone fort. The memory seems surreal like I am watching a home movie of another person’s life. When I was four or five, my dad and I went to a family reunion, a very rare event considering how much we moved around. I met a few cousins who were my age. We were playing tag near a  river with a dock off it. Misty, she was two years older than me, fell off a dock into a river. She was swept under. All the adults were further away from the bank, they couldn’t see us or hear us. Another cousin ran for help. I froze. I knew how to swim like a fish but I didn't know what to do.I watched her drown waiting for help."

Will hangs his head swipes his eyes with his fingers. " I just met her. We weren't close but I wanted to rescue her. I know I was too young and too small to have done anything. I guess since Matthew is my cousin when we age play. And we were playing tag near the water.."

"All those all those feeling and then everyone else's feelings on top of that was very hard for little Will to handle, so you withdrew into yourself like always." Will nods jerkily.

Hannibal rounds the island and takes William into his arms." My brave sweet sensitive boy." He sighs taking Will's face into his hands tilting it up.

" When will you understand, I am here to help you. I love you,both adult and little."

"I know. Sorry, I still have difficulty talking about my childhood. I love you too Daddy."

“Do you feel better now?”

“Yes Daddy.”

Hannibal kisses this head. "Would like some hot chocolate with breakfast?"

"Really?! Yes please!" Will smiles hugging his daddy tight.

"Yes for my brave boy. Would like to Matthew to see how he is recovering."  Hannibal asks as he takes out the milk.

"Yes, Daddy..I would like that very much."  Little Will digs into his waffles.

 

 

**  
**


End file.
